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The 1936 Senators would finish in fourth place with a 82-71 record, and a .536 winning percentage. The New York Yankees (Who else? ) would win the pennant with a 102-51 record and .667 winning percentage.

Some highlights of the season: The Senators would lead the American League in stolen bases (104), triples (84) and would tie with the Cleveland Indians for fewest home runs allowed (73). Unfortunately, the Senators would only hit 62 homers, with 1st baseman Joe Kuehl (16) and outfielder John Stone (15) accounting for exactly half of the home runs hit.

Playing their home games in expansive Griffith Stadium helps account for the league lead in triples and the absence of home runs.

Vice President Thomas Marshall substitutes for his boss, President Woodrow Wilson, throwing out the first pitch of the season with Washington Manager Clark Griffith looking on. This photo probably dates from either 1919, when Wilson was tied up in the Versailles Peace Conference, or 1920 when he had been incapacitated by a stroke. (Corbis)

Tuesday, April 14, 1936 Griffith Stadium Washington, DC: A beaming President Franklin D. Roosevelt prepares to throw out the first pitch of the season as Senators Manager Bucky Harris and Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy look on. The President and other loyal fans were treated to a 1-0 Senators victory pitched by Bobo Newsom. From there Harris' Senators went on to an 82-71 fourth place finish.

Tuesday, April 14, 1936 Griffith Stadium Washington, DC: A beaming President Franklin D. Roosevelt prepares to throw out the first pitch of the season as Senators Manager Bucky Harris and Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy look on. The President and other loyal fans were treated to a 1-0 Senators victory pitched by Bobo Newsom.

Brownie31

Bobo Newsom fun facts-

Louis Norman (Bobo) Newsom's career spanned from 1929 through 1953 although he didn't appear in the major leagues in 1931, 1949, 1950 or 1951.

The well travelled Newsome played for Brooklyn (twice), the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Browns (on three seperate occasions), the Washington Senators (five seperate stints), Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics (twice) the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.

Bobo is quoted as having said "I played for Washington five different times. That beat Franklin Delano Roosevelt's record. He was only elected four times."

Bobo is the first major league player to have worn the number "00" during his fourth stint with the Senators in 1946/1947.

Louis Norman (Bobo) Newsom's career spanned from 1929 through 1953 although he didn't appear in the major leagues in 1931, 1949, 1950 or 1951.

The well travelled Newsome played for Brooklyn (twice), the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Browns (on three seperate occasions), the Washington Senators (five seperate stints), Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics (twice) the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.

Bobo is quoted as having said "I played for Washington five different times. That beat Franklin Delano Roosevelt's record. He was only elected four times."

Bobo is the first major league player to have worn the number "00" during his fourth stint with the Senators in 1946/1947.

Monday, April 8, 1963 DC Stadium, Washington DC: President John F. Kennedy and other important political figures such as Senator Hubert H. Humphrey watch a foul come into the stands as Mickey Vernon's Senators lose 3-1 to the Baltimore Orioles. Sadly, this would be JFK's final season opener. (Corbis)

Friday, April 21, 1939 Griffith Stadium Washington DC: Substituting for President Roosevelt, Vice President John Nance Garner tosses out the first pitch as Bucky Harris, Senators manager, and Joe McCarthy, Yankees manager look on. The Yankees would win 6-3 and roll to their fourth consecutive World Series championship while Harris' Senators would stumble home in sixth place. (Corbis)

Brownie31

Nice to see this picture... I've always loved the 1939 Centennial sleeve patch, and I was disappointed that the belief was, according to Marc Okkonen's Baseball Uniforms of the Twentieth Century, that the team did not wear that patch for the sleeve W (actually, the team history says they had it, but the 1939 uniform pic does not). But this pic proves that that really bland uniform did have the patch.

Nice to see this picture... I've always loved the 1939 Centennial sleeve patch, and I was disappointed that the belief was, according to Marc Okkonen's Baseball Uniforms of the Twentieth Century, that the team did not wear that patch for the sleeve W (actually, the team history says they had it, but the 1939 uniform pic does not). But this pic proves that that really bland uniform did have the patch.

The patch was probably an order from on high for all teams in mlb. Question: Do you know if they were worn in the minors?

Friday, April 20, 1945 Griffith Stadium Washington DC: Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn prepares to throw out the first pitch of the baseball season. Looking on are, from left, Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, Clark Griffith, Walter Johnson, Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy and Senators Manager Ossie Bluege. Bluege's Senators were defeated by the Yankees 6-3 that day en route to an 87-67 second place finish. (Corbis)

The Big Train Is Derailed

Washington, DC Friday, October 14, 1932: Somber faced Clark Griffith and Walter Johnson face the newspapermen after Johnson was let go as Senators manager after four seasons. Johnson was succeeded by Joe Cronin. This is an original Associated Press wirephoto. (eBay listing)

Wednesday, April 14, 1915 National Park Washington DC: President Woodrow Wilson is shown at the season opener and is in high spirits. And well he should be as he and other loyal fans would see Clark Griffith's Senators belt the New York Yankees 7-0 in route to an 85-68 fourth place finish.

Where have you guys been hiding.

I can't believe I have found a bunch of old Senator's fans. All the great photos and memories. I was lucky enough to have attended that 1956 All Star game at Griffith. Centerfield bleachers, of course. Despite a National League team stuffed with Cincinatti Reds, they let Willie Mays play and he rewarded us all with a shot half way up the left center bleachers. As I recall, Mickey Vernon was our lone Senator rep and he pop-ed up his only at bat.

My first game ever was the Opener in I believe 1953. I remember the program had pics of both Mickey Vernon (who had won the AL Batting Championship the prior year) and Bob Portifield (who had been the top AL Pitcher) on the front cover. The Nats won on a walk off homer by Vernon that hit the top of the rightfield fense and skipped over. We were sitting in the rightfield 2nd deck and could look right down on the wall and the ball. I still remember the look of disgust on the Yankee Rightfielder's face. I think the fielder was Irv Noren.

I grew up in Arlington and even at the age of 10 and 11 my friends and I would go to afternoon games at Griffith. We would take a Virginia bus to it's first stop on 7th Street, and then either walk or take the streetcar up Georgia Avenue to the stadium. Although the neighborhood had already become mostly black, not once did we ever encounter the least problem. In fact, I have memories of walking down Georgia Ave. after Sunday day games and stopping at a Negro storefront church just to listen to the great singing.
Those were wonderful and very different times.

I am constantly looking for a photo that would show clearly the great Mr. Bo
National Bohemium Beer sign that sat above the leftfield bleachers. I am amazed at how few good photos of Griffith are available. I have attached a copy of my attempt to colorize an old widely distributed black and white AP photo.

Welcome Aboard, Don!

DonDownUnder, Welcome aboard!

I think you'll find that Baseball-Fever.Com is one of the friendliest sites on the web-even friendlier when we're welcoming another SENATORS fan to our ranks.

You know, this is driving me crazy!!! I have been looking all over the web for a photo of the National Boh billboard at Griffith Stadium and seem to keep coming up empty-handed. I do have a book at home with a couple of photos-in glorious black and white-of it. Guess I'll have to break down and scan them and see if I can post them here.

In the interim, here's a link to a great writeup on Griffith Stadium, but no photo of the billboard in question.

Hope you'll come back Don. Things seem to go in cycles here, it's usually quiet this time of year and picks up in the fall. BTW-I play on a softball team here in Charles County, MD named the Senators. I have a Senators pennant and photo of the 1971 team hanging in my office. I've mentioned it on this forum before but 1971 was a bittersweet year for me-I graduated from high school in the spring and then the Senators left town that fall.

"For the Washington Senators, the worst time of the year is the baseball season." Roger Kahn

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby.